


I Still Need You

by your_bro_joe



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Cheating, Children, F/M, Family, Infidelity, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-18
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:58:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/your_bro_joe/pseuds/your_bro_joe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While working together in Teufort, Medic and Scout started an intimate relationship. When their contracts ended, they stayed close physically, but not emotionally, and Scout eventually married and had children. He and Medic still carry on, but Scout's wife has no idea, and the revelation could tear their family apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“We gotta stop doin’ this, Doc,” Scout grinds out, nose pressed at an uncomfortable angle into Medic’s cheek as the doctor bites at his neck.

“We do,” Medic agrees, grabbing the younger man’s ass with both hands, “but that is up to you.”

“This is the last time,” he sighs, wrapping skinny arms around Medic’s shoulders, “I swear.”

It isn’t.

Teufort seems like yesterday and a thousand years ago. In reality, it’s been about ten. When their contracts ended, most of the team went their separate ways, but Scout and Medic clung to each other, piecing together a fragmented relationship that had never been meant to go anywhere. Though most of the romance had gone out of their relationship, they stayed close, always in the same city, sometimes in the same dwelling. Medic found he liked Boston quite a bit, and Scout rediscovered the city’s girls.

He married one four years after their contracts ended, and a year later had a daughter. Three years after that, they had another.

Medic was there for the wedding, and the births. He was there for the aftermath of fights and for babysitting on date nights. And he was there when Scout craved him; couldn’t take it anymore and gave in.

His wife knows they used to work together. She knows they’re almost like family. She doesn’t know they used to fuck. She doesn’t know they still do.

* * *

Scout rolls over in Medic’s bed, grabs the clock on the beside table, and promptly curses.

Medic sits up to watch the younger man untangle himself from the sheets. “Was ist los?” he asks as Scout picks up the various items of his clothing that are scattered around the room, putting them back on.

“I gotta pick Gracie up from school today. I forgot all about it and now I’m fuckin’ late,” he huffs, jumping on one leg trying to get his pants and underwear on at the same time.

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Medic says idly.

“I’m the worst father ever,” he grumbles as he buttons his shirt, but Medic grabs one of the tails and pulls him down for a short kiss.

“You’re a wonderful father,” he says when he releases him, and Scout fights down a smile. “But I cannot vouch for your quality as a husband.”

Scout’s smile falls and he tucks his shirt in angrily. “Shut up. You know I do everything I can for Annette.”

“I am just saying,” Medic sighs, reclining on the pillows, “that infidelity is not typically the hallmark of a successful marriage.” Scout stops and stares at him.

“I’ll deal with you later,” he bites out after a short while, “right now I gotta get my kid and pick my wife up from the baby doctor.”

“Obstetrician,” Medic corrects.

“Whatever,” Scout mumbles, slamming the door on his way out.

“Auf Wiedersehen,” Medic says to no one.


	2. Chapter 2

“Are you jealous? Cuz if you’re jealous we gotta stop,” Scout says, arms crossed as he leans forward on Medic’s kitchen table.

“And if I’m not? Do we just continue until I am?” Medic asks, frowning and leaning back in his chair. “Don’t you feel guilty?”

“Of course I do!” He stands, pacing. “I love my wife. The last thing I wanna do is hurt her.”

“Then why are you doing this?” Medic asks reasonably. “Do you still love me?”

“No!” Scout replies, a bit too forcefully, and he winces. “I just— I just want….”

“Why are you doing this, Francis?” Medic says gently, and Scout looks pained.

“Don’t— don’t call me that. I’m Scout with you. I’ve always been Scout with you,” he begs, and Medic suddenly looks angry.

“Is that what this is?” he growls, “you miss being a mercenary so much you have to fuck me to remember?”

“Goddammit, Doc,” Scout cries, “I may be pathetic but I ain’t that pathetic. You think if I missed it that much I wouldn’t have signed another contract by now? I would’ve gotten married and had kids just so I could leave ‘em?”

Medic sighs, calming. “To be honest with you, Herr Scout, I don’t know what to think of you anymore.”

A silence descends over the kitchen. Scout checks his watch, wondering if he can come up with an excuse to leave, but the doctor knows him better than that. If he wants to leave, he doesn’t need excuses.

He can’t do it, though. He’s drawn to the older man like a moth to a flame, unaware that his wings have started to burn; that this whole mess might unravel if he’s not careful.

“I got an hour til Annette comes home from work,” he says quietly, and Medic takes the cue, walking back to the bedroom. Scout follows.


	3. Chapter 3

Scout sighs heavily as he closes the front door behind himself, turning back around to see Grace running up to him.

“Daddy!” she squeals, and Scout picks her up, kissing her forehead.

“Hey, baby doll,” he grins, “how was school?”

“Look look,” she says, pulling a piece of construction paper out of a pocket on her dress. “I drew a kitty!”

“You did?” he asks, taking the paper from her and gasping in amazement at it. “Wow, look at those whiskers! It’s gorgeous, baby, I’m gonna put it on the fridge.”

“Yay!” she cheers, hugging his neck. “Daddy, can we get a kitty?”

Scout laughs. “Ask your mother.”

“But I did! And she said ask you,” Grace pouts. Scout puts her down and strokes her hair.

“Me an’ your ma will talk about it, okay?”

“Okay,” she replies happily, running off to find her little sister. “Jeanie! Jeanie! Daddy says he and Mama are gonna get us a kitty!”

Scout smirks, hoping she forgets the cat as quickly as she forgot about the dog, and the bird, and the pig.

“Hey, workin’ man,” Annette teases when he enters the kitchen. He gives her a tired smile.

“Hey yourself,” he replies, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her middle. She kisses his cheek.

“Rough day?” she asks, stirring a pot of tomato sauce.

“Mmhm,” he mumbles against her neck, breathing in the sweet smell of her long, black hair. “Don’t really wanna talk about it,” he sighs, pressing kisses below her ear. “Just glad I got you and the girls to come home to.” His hands rub her growing belly.

“This one’s a boy,” she replies, putting her hands over his, “I just know it.” He rubs his mustache against her neck, and she giggles.

“That’s what you said about Gracie,” he prods, “and Jeanie.”

“That was different, I wasn’t sure,” she protests, “but this time I am. I can just feel it.” She smiles, lacing her fingers with his.

“Well,” he says to her stomach, “I’ll be happy either way.” She kisses his ear.

“You better be,” Annette teases, turning in his arms to embrace him.

“I’m always happy with you, Annie,” he smiles, and they kiss until their daughters come in, asking when the cat will be there.


	4. Chapter 4

When Scout walks into his bedroom, Annette is standing at her vanity with her back to him. He smiles, but then he notices her slumped shoulders, and for the briefest second he’s reminded of his mother on the day his father left her.

“Annie?”

“Scout,” she says, and his body freezes in response.

“Ann—”

“That’s what he calls you, isn’t it?”

“Doc? Yeah. Yeah, it was my nickname when we worked together. You know that,” he says defensively. She turns around, and he can see tears in her eyes. “Baby, what’s wrong?” He takes a step toward her, but she stiffens so he stops.

“I found these,” she says, picking up a shoebox from the vanity. Scout can see that there are letters inside.

“I thought I threw those away,” is all he can get out before the breath is sucked right out of him.

“‘My dearest Scout’,” she reads from the letter on top, “‘I never fancied myself a romantic until I met you.’” She picks up another. “‘My most handsome Scout, my mind dwells long on memories of you pressed close to me.’”

“Annie, please—” To hear those words that once made his heart melt thrown back at him in his wife’s voice is almost enough to make him crack.

“‘My darling Scout, love of my life, I cannot wait to make love to you again!’” She’s shouting now, and Scout wraps his arms around her, knocking the box from her hands and sending the papers fluttering to the floor.

“Please,” he says, holding her as she struggles to free herself, sobbing hysterically, “please, Annie.”

“How could you do this to me, Frankie?” she chokes out, finally going still in his arms.

“The dates, baby, look at the dates,” he pleads, “those are over ten years old. That was before I even met you.” He ventures to stroke her hair. “I fell outta love with him the minute I met you.”

She chews her lip, tears still falling silently down her face. “How do I know that?” she asks. “How do I know that, when you’re still so close to him, when you kept these goddamn letters—!”

“I swear ta god, I thought I threw ‘em out. My ma must’ve found ‘em and then they got here somehow when we moved. I don’t know—”

“Your ma knows about this?” she nearly screams.

“No. No. Or if she does, she’s never said. Mothers always know stuff about you that you don’t, you know that,” he tries, still stroking her hair. She sniffles.

“How do I know you don’t still love him?”

“You’re just gonna have to trust me, Annie.”

She squeezes her eyes shut against her tears, pressing her face into his chest. “How do I know he doesn’t still love you?”

He sighs, rubbing her back. “He says he doesn’t.” It’s true; they fell out of love with each other years ago. They just can’t seem to break away. “I swear to you, Annie, it’s not like that anymore. He’s like a father to me now, that’s it.”

They hold each other in silence for a long while, her tears soaking through his shirt.

“I don’t wanna see him again until I’ve had time to think about this,” she says, voice shaking at first, but progressively getting stronger. “I don’t want him around the girls. And I don’t want you going over there to see him.” She lifts her head to look in his eyes. “You understand me?”

“Of course,” he says. He knows better than to argue.

“If he asks, you tell him whatever you want. I don’t care,” she says bitterly, pulling out of his loose embrace. He lets her. “And I want those things out of my house,” she says finally, pointing at the letters scattered at their feet. Scout nods, and she nods back, wiping her eyes and leaving the room.

Scout kneels on the floor, gathering the letters one by one and shoving them back in the shoebox. He forces himself not to read Medic’s proclamations of undying love, knowing now they couldn’t possibly be true. When he closes the lid, he buries his face in his hands, defeated.


End file.
